The building industry and its consumers have been eyeing innovative materials that are not only durable but also sustainable, and recyclable with a potential to curb global warming. Working on the similar lines, a research group from Stanford University (US) has developed an innovative biocomposite (a composite which is biodegrable) material which resembles wood lumber both in looks as wells as performance but is just not that. In fact, the material which is developed by reinforcing biodegradable plastic with natural plant fibers, exhibits numerous benefits over traditional wood lumber which is employed in building and furniture industry on an extensive scale.
The synthetic wood-like biocomposite material was developed by reinforcing polyhydroxy-butyrate (PHB)-the biodegradable plastic resin with natural hemp fibers. Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) is produced by microorganisms and is biodegradable, biocompatible thermoplastic material. The plastic is characterized by high crystallinity and a high glass transition temperature, similar to that of commodity polypropylene. Hemp fibers are natural fibers which can be cultivated faster than trees which are the very source for obtaining wood. Research has found that the hemp-PHB composite material behaved just like wood in its ability to mold, nail, hammer, or drill the material for use. The hemp-PHB biocomposites have shown stability to be used in furniture, floors and a other multiple building materials.
Tthe biocomposite material is able to cycle through landfills quicker than lumber, curbed the wooden waste and perhaps will save thousands of acres of tree plantations. Judging by the scope of development, building activity carried out in the third world nations and developing economies, the extensive use of the material can surely result in the landfills shrinking down and reduced waste. Accordingly, this faux wood material can lead to curbing the global warming potential of the planet. The material is characterized by same tensile strength and load bearing capacity as wood and is both durable and recyclable.
Lumber and plywood biodegrade gradually taking several months to years once they are congregated in the landfill. The degradation happens by means of an anaerobic process (in absence of oxygen) releasing methane as the byproduct. Failing to collect the gas, this can be a potent global warming agent (22 times more potent than carbon dioxide gas). In case of wood degradation, the harvesting and storing of methane is not viable due to the gradual anaerobic degradation of plywood and lumber. This is exactly where the hemp reinforced PHB composite scores above the traditional wooden materials. The group says that degradation of hemp-PHB composite depends on microorganisms that thrive in anaerobic environments and is quicker compared to that of wood. Further, the end-of-life decomposition of hemp-PHB biocomposite material will lead to a closed-loop process. The faster anaerobic decomposition of this material makes recapturing methane a profitable energy practice. The methane released can be consumed by the microbes to convert the same into PHB resin which could be extracted for use in production of similar biocomposites. On the whole, a significant amount of material's mass could be chemically recycled into new biocomposite materials of similarly high quality.
The application of hemp-PHB biocomposite material in housing makes for a pragmatic approach towards global warming considering the fact that the industry does have a significant environmental impact. Also, the material can substitute lumber, particularly in developing and third world countries, owing to the increased level of construction and reconstruction activity in the region. Accordingly, wood comprises of a significant proportion of waste and debris as a result of modernization and rebuilding projects in such regions. As opposed to wood scraps that stay dumped in landfills for months or years, hemp-PHB biocomposites decompose a few weeks after burial. As they degrade, they release methane gas that can be captured and burned for energy recovery or re-used to make more biocomposites.